Bewilderment: Escaping from reality
by Kurolu
Summary: A typical first year arrived to Hogwarts. Her mind is closed like a tightly sealed diary. She seems like a normal eleven year old, but with the depths of her mind......something is starting to grow like a dark parasite....
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I (Kuro) am only using J.K.Rowling's universe and only a few of her characters. My characters (Maria, Val, Formal, etc.) are based off real people, yet they still belong to me. There will be neither shipping nor Mary Sueish romance between my characters and cannon.

AN: English isn't my first language, bear with me.

Prologue

**M**y Hogwarts letter finally arrived today, on the crack of dawn. I remember I was eating cauldron cakes with my little sister when the tawny owl arrived. I lost hope in getting my Hogwarts letter, since I turned eleven on December 25th. September 1st already passed, so I thought I missed my chance. Nevertheless, I got my letter on August 30, 2002. It feels funny to be the oldest of your generation, but it's better than being the youngest (I hope).

I don't look like an eleven year old in my opinion. I'm squat, with long brownish hair and very large front teeth. I also wear a pair of glasses, which cover my dull auburn eyes. I have no choice but to wear them, since my vision is as foul as a bat's. My sister is four years younger than me, and we are nothing alike. She's very vigorous and hyper, yet I'm timid and calm. She's probably energetic because of my mother, and I probably inherited my tranquil nature from my father.

My family is pureblooded. We are not Dark wizards, and we don't hate Muggle borns. Since You-know-who has fallen, I guess that every 'pure blooded' family came to their senses little by little. My mother and father considered joining You-know-who in the past, but they decided to stick to the good side, since they didn't want to ruin their reputation as good Aurors.

Anyway, we live in a pretty house in London. As I've mentioned before, my father and mother are Aurors. I want to be just like them some day. They are very bright wizards, but unlike me they are fearless. Catching Dark wizards is a very perilous job, and I'm not sure I want to follow their footsteps. I will try though, but I don't know if I'll succeed…..


	2. Chapter 1

**As sweet as sugary lime **

**I'**mset to depart. I have my very own wand, my books, my robes, and my black cat Chopin. When I stepped into the platform, my eyes widened in astonishment. The Hogwarts express was the biggest engine I've ever seen! I almost drooled in bewilderment when I saw its glossy scarlet coat. I took out my sketch book, leaned against my trunk and drew out my quill. Since I learned to hold a quill, sketching and drawing was my passion. Everything that left a handprint on my memory, I sketched it. I wasn't very good, but I improved every month. I reached for my red and black ink and started drawing the stunning train as quick as possible. It was almost eleven o'clock, and I needed to hurry.

Chopin (which is pronounced CHO-PHAN) mewed at me and started purring against my kneeled knees. He must've smelt the chocolate frog in my pocket.

I was so focused at drawing the engine's chimney, that I didn't hear the engine's horn in time. I looked up with wide eyes. The train was departing!

"Oh no….oh no no no…." I muttered under my breath as I tried to put my sketchbook inside my clothes trunk. It was too big! I started to get more desperate. Choplin began to peak his head in my pocket, which made me loose a bit of my clumsy balance. All of my drawings flew from my sketch book like pigeons. I started recollecting the pieces of parchment hurriedly, but the engine's wind made them fly from my sweaty grasp. I didn't collect all of my precious drawings; including Chopin's portrait. That was my most cherished sketch.

I hung my head as I stuffed the pages I managed to seize inside my trunk. I wanted to cry, I've worked very hard on that drawing. I glanced at the clock. It was only five minutes till eleven. I must've gone ballistic when I heard the horn, thinking that the train was going to depart. Yet, it was still standing.

I rubbed my eyes behind my glasses. I felt tears coming, but I mustn't cry. It was just a silly drawing, not the end of the world. I should've been more careful….

"Is this yours?"

All of a sudden, I saw my favorite drawing in front of me. A chubby girl had found it, and she was staring at me with kind eyes. I nodded and took my drawing back, stuffing it in my trunk carefully, making sure it didn't slither away. I managed to give the girl a weak smile, "Thanks…."

The girl smiled back, "Your welcome."

She had honey colored eyes and dirty blonde hair. Her face and chubby cheeks had a pinkish hue. "What's your name?" she asked in her shrill sugary tone.

I scooped up Chopin before answering, "M-Maria Bello…"

The girl and I started walking towards the engine's doors. The engine's steam made my messy hair cover my face, but I managed to fix it when we were inside.

"I'm Valentina Lime. But you can call me Val….."

Val and I sat together in an empty compartment. Once the train started moving, I shivered slightly. I was very nervous and tension filled my spine. What was going to happen once I get to Hogwarts? Did I have to take some kind of test to prove myself worthy?

"What house do you want to be put in?" Val asked curiously, taking a medium sized green trunk and placing it on her lap. I gazed at her with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean….houses?" I asked slowly, scratching Chopin behind his ear. Val eyed me with a similar expression, "You know…..Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin…." She explained simply. I gave a weak sheepish smile, "What are those?" I asked, feeling like I was asking very dumb questions. Val rolled her eyes slightly, "You don't know anything about Hogwarts? What about your parents? Didn't they tell you anything?"

I didn't remember my parents mentioning that Hogwarts had houses. I barely spend time with my parents since they are very busy people.

"Not really….I barely talk to my parents and they just mentioned that Hogwarts was the school they went to." I said with a shrug.

Val nodded in understanding, "No wonder you look so nervous. Don't worry though! I heard all houses are good in their own way. My brother was sorted into Hufflepuff, and he's in third year. He's also in the Hufflepuff Quidditch team! I don't know if I'll be sorted in Hufflepuff, but I hope not. Then I'll have to face my brother and his stupid friends….." she said coolly, petting her moss colored box.

I watched Val in awe. If only I knew as much as her! I decided to ask her everything I had in doubt. "What about the other houses?" I asked in a slight eager tone.

Val reached in her pocket and drew out a tiny silver key before answering, "Well….according to my brother, Gryffindor is filled with people whom are stuck up rebels…..Ravenclaw is where the smart people go, I think…..Slytherin is where the purebloods go…..and Hufflepuff is the rest….But, I don't believe my brother since he's such an idiot…" she said in a doubtful tone, opening her box by unlocking it with her petite key.

All of a sudden, the green box opened with a click. I gasped silently when millions of rainbow colors met my eyes. Val's box was filled with small plastic tubes with different colored labels. There were about eighty of them!

I leaned closer to get a better look, "What are they?" I asked quietly.

Val smiled proudly, "They are muggle lip glosses. I collect them. My mum is a muggle and works in a cosmetic shop. She gives me two every week, but I never use them. They must be in perfect condition!" she said cheerfully. I fixed my glasses as I gazed at them closely, "Wow. What are lip glosses for?" I asked as I took a slight sniff. There was a very lovely aroma coming from them.

Val took a red colored lip gloss and unscrewed its cap. I could see strange goo oozing from its top. "You rub it in your lips and it will give them a glossy look and a very pleasant scent…This one smells like apple…"

I nodded slightly as Val put it away and closed her box. There were so many things I could learn from her!

"Do you know any spells Maria?" Val asked curiously, taking out her wand. It had a purple hue, and it also had a gray flush.

I shook my head timidly, "No...Do you?" I asked.

Val shook her head as well, "Well…Not really…." she gave her wand a little wave, trying to summon some kind of enchantment. I gazed at her oddly; wanting to know what was she going to do next.

She stood up and beamed. "I'm going to change my skirt's color! Watch!..." she said with optimism in her tone. Val started to wave her wand once more, only this time she was looking at her ankle length green skirt. Val gave a flick and said, "Orange!"

Nothing happened.

I kept gazing at Val's skirt, anxiously waiting for it to change color. Val cleared her throat and smiled awkwardly, "Maybe I didn't say it loud enough…." She said looking at her skirt with minor disapproval.

I took off my glasses and wiped the glass with my shirt. "M-maybe you have to use other words…." I suggested shyly, putting on my glasses once more.

Val giggled, "Oh no no no! I think I'm doing it right…..Maybe a spell is stronger when you say it louder! I think I can see a bit of orange in my skirt's edge!...See?..." she said pointing the skirt's border with her wand. I looked closely, but I didn't see any orange.

Val flicked her long blondish hair before waving her wand once more. "ORANGE!" she ordered in a louder tone.

Nothing happened.

Val huffed in disappointment, watching her wand with pure dislike. "I think I got the wrong wand…..Why don't you try the spell with your wand? Maybe it'll work…" she said pointing at my reddish wand, which was in my pocket. I nodded and took it out slowly. I fixed my glasses, cleared my throat and waved my wand the same way Val did. When I flicked it I stuttered, "O-orange!"

Val rolled her eyes before putting her hands on her hip. "No Maria! You must say it louder! Or else it wont work!" she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

I nodded, fixing my glasses once more. I gave a small cough and gave my wand a little wave. "Orange!" I cried louder the moment I flicked my wand.

Val eyed her skirt disillusioned, stomping her foot. "I can't believe it! We can't even change an object's color for Merlin's sake!..." she said with a groan, wiping dust off her forest green skirt, wishing for a patch of orange to show up.

"May be if we both use our magic, the skirt will change. If we scream 'Orange' at the same time, the spell will work…" I suggested slowly, standing up. Chopin hissed faintly when I woke him up, and he leaped out of my lap.

Val smiled in her confident manner, "Yes! Let's try that!" she said waving her wand merrily.

"At the count of three!" I exclaimed with a smile, pointing my wand towards her piece of clothing.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

After we said three, we bellowed the word 'Orange' as much (and as loud) as possible.

Chopin hissed at the screaming, and hid under the compartment's seat in fright and irritation. All of a sudden, the compartment door slid open…….


End file.
